Space-A Recap

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I did it!  I flew across the ocean alone with two babies.  And I traveled our "east coast family
Triangle".  Now I'm home, safe and sound.  How's that for "there and back again"? 

We flew on a commercial plane this time (out of Baltimore, like when we PCSed over).  I payed $50 for the three of us.  Can't beat that!

I'm still "in transition"... both with the time zone change and with getting adjusted to being home.  Adjusting to the time difference feels easier this way than it was going to east coast time.  The girls are still sleeping in until almost 10am every day!  (I'm reluctant to force them up earlier cause it's SO NICE!)  I have most of our bags unpacked, which contributes to a sense of normal.  And I'm doing dishes and laundry again, for which Jesse is very thankful, I'm sure ;o)  I even cooked a simple meat and potato meal last night!

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So I missed my first flight I tried for... it was a good experience for me to feel what it's like to not make it.  There were only 19 seats available and so Mike, the kids, and I waited around for about three hours only to find out that I wasn't going to make the roll call.

It's like not getting picked for the dodgeball team in elementary school.  You get butterflies in the tummy as you mutter "pickmepickeme" over and over under your breath.

And when you don't get picked, you sigh and pack everyone back into the car.  And then the next day you try, try again!

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While we were waiting at McGuire, two airmen came into the USO playroom (full of toys and a tv to keep the littles entertained).  Clearly they'd been told to put the toys away.  They just stood there and stared at the mess... they were obviously distressed :o)  I overheard one say to the other "I don't even know where to start" to which I chimed "welcome to my world!"

And I chuckled cause they totally started picking up toys with the kids still in the room.  Poor guys.  You can imagine what the eight or so children under the age of five promptly recreated... the mess.

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Making friends in an airport terminal full of military folk is easy.  Maybe it's cause we're kindred spirits cause we're all in the military (in some way).  Or maybe it's because we're heading in the same direction, for whatever reason.

Anyways, I walked away with the phone number of a lady named Leslie (who adopted me and the girls and helped me out a bunch on the flight) who lives just over the hill from me in case I want her daughters (16 and 17) to babysit sometime.  How's that for small world?  And run-on sentences?

I actually might take her up on her offer, too.  We have been invited to a nice retirement party on the first of December!  It would be really nice to have someone come watch the girls here so we don't have to drag them somewhere else and pick them up after.   Teenagers are great for that kind of thing :o) 

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I decided to join Jesse in the German time zone this am.  He had to get up for work around 6am... all day shifts for the next two months.   So you have that to thank for this blog post, otherwise I probably wouldn't have time today ;o)

I'm close to working it back  into life again, though... just gotta get back into a routine that somewhat resembles my old one!  In the meantime, I'm busy working on potty training, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of my own two kids... things I've had lots of help with the last month or so!

Oh, and I'm bound to pick my camera up again soon... stay tuned for pictures of what the girls are up to now that they're home!

So my final thoughts on our first solo Space-A adventure:  it's cheap, it's stressful, and I'll definitely be doing it again.  I'm so thankful that the Air Force allows me the opportunity to travel for so little.  It's not easy with two little kids, but it's still worth the trouble! 

Thanks to all my family for our amazing USA vacation!  I miss you already!